2023 - Page 4 of 11 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Federal funds to battle opioid addiction coming to rural western Washington hospitals

By Lauren Gallup September 15, 2023

Map of Percent Change in Reported 12 Month-ending Count of Drug Overdose Deaths, by Jurisdiction: April 2022 to April 2023, showing Washington with an increase of 31.33%. // Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

For people seeking medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder in some rural Washington communities, there could soon be more options. Recent grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been allocated to develop medication-assisted treatment (MAT) at rural clinics. Read More

Irving Brown rallies support in Pasco after racist acts target him, his campaign

By Anna King September 14, 2023

Incumbent Pasco City Councilmember Irving Brown has been targeted by racist letters, a knocked down campaign sign and vandalism in his yard. His supporters held a rally in Pasco on […]Read More

With COVID-19 rise in northwest, officials say new booster available soon

By Rachel Sun September 14, 2023

COVID-19 numbers are on the rise in the inland northwest, with Whitman and Latah counties both reporting 10 hospitalizations from the virus in the past week.Read More

Financial relief still on hold for homeowners in Whatcom impacted by 2021 floods

By Lauren Gallup September 13, 2023

Nooksack River flooding, Nov. 2021. // Courtesy of Brandon Parsons, with aerial support by LightHawk

Homeowners in Whatcom County have been waiting nearly two years for relief from flooding that devastated communities in northwest Washington and parts of Canada — and now, they have to wait even longer. Federal funding was supposed to come this week for 12 homeowners whose houses were destroyed during the November 2021 flooding. However, it’s been delayed, again. Read More

Idaho’s fight against fentanyl

By Rachel Sun September 11, 2023

How local, state and federal programs are tackling the synthetic opioid crisisRead More

No spring bear hunts in Washington – again

By Courtney Flatt September 11, 2023

A brownish black bear stands on a gravel road next to green grass.

A black bear spotted on a forest road this spring in Eastern WA. (Photo courtesy of WA Dept Fish & Wildlife) Listen (Runtime 0:56) Read The Washington Fish and Wildlife […]Read More

Los incendios forestales pueden afectar su salud mental

By Johanna Bejarano September 8, 2023

Los incendios forestales son aterradores y pueden desbordar las emociones. Miedo, ansiedad e incluso depresión pueden sentirse antes, durante y después de estos desastres naturales, pero los especialistas dicen que aún existen recursos para enfrentar el trauma que pueden causar las emergencias medioambientales.Read More

Toxic algae found in Columbia River for third week, EPA scientists on the way and new OSU study “sniffs” for toxins

By Anna King September 6, 2023

Children play recently at Howard Amon park in Richland, near a sign warning of toxic algae. (Credit: Anna King / Northwest News Network.) Read The Environmental Protection Agency will begin […]Read More

Wildfires can impact your mental health

By Johanna Bejarano September 6, 2023

Wildfires can be frightening and result in overflowing emotions. Fear, anxiety and even depression can arise before, during and after these natural disasters, but specialists say there are still resources to cope with the trauma that environmental emergencies can cause.Read More

Fall prevention: Stay fit and fall-free

By Rachel Sun September 5, 2023

How to spot risk factors and how to prevent falls before they happenRead More

Scientists discover ‘turtle power’ could help monitor radioactive materials

By Courtney Flatt September 5, 2023

A green giant tortoise is in the middle of the picture. It’s sticking it’s neck far out of its shell. It’s standing in green grass and surrounded by green bushes. On the left hand side of the picture, there is a white tree trunk.

A giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. (Courtesy of Courtney Flatt.) Listen (Runtime 1:13) Read Northwest researchers have discovered that turtle shells can help track radioactive material […]Read More

Washington may upgrade Western gray squirrel to ‘endangered’ status

By Courtney Flatt September 5, 2023

A large gray squirrel sits on top of a light brown log. There is a stack of rocks next to the squirrel in the right hand side of the picture and green trees in the background. Courtesy: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

A Western gray squirrel. (Courtesy of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.) Listen (Runtime 0:57) Read Washington’s Western gray squirrels are in trouble. So much so that state officials […]Read More

What will happen to employees at WestRock Paper Mill when it closes?

By Lauren Gallup September 5, 2023

About 400 workers were laid off from the WestRock Paper Mill in Tacoma last year. Now, the company's Seattle packaging plant is slated to close in March. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB)

With the impending closure of the WestRock Paper Mill in Tacoma, about 400 workers could be displaced. “It's really significant,” said Chelsea Mason-Placek, who is the workforce development director for the Washington State Labor Council. “This is a much larger layoff than we typically see.”Read More

Northwest residents share stories of UFO sightings, hope for government disclosure

By Lauren Paterson September 1, 2023

A digital illustration shows the silhouette of a man looking out over the ocean at a floating orange orb framed by stars in the night sky.

Ryan Graves, Americans for Safe Aerospace Executive Director, from left, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Maj. David Grusch, and U.S. Navy (Ret.) Cmdr. David Fravor, are sworn in during a House […]Read More

Variations on a Theme: Labor Day!

By Hannah Snyder September 1, 2023

The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882. The labor movement is long, varied, and complex. But at the heart of it is the desire for better living conditions for […]Read More

Lawsuit aims to block ballot measure to dissolve Dayton library

By Courtney Flatt September 1, 2023

A red brick building with black stair railings. A small brown pergola is in front of the library. A few green plants are underneath the pergola. An evergreen tree is at the side of the red brick building. A black lamppost is in front of the building.

On Nov. 7, some voters will decide whether to dissolve the Columbia County Library in Dayton, Washington. If they choose to do so, librarians said it would be the first […]Read More

Fries of the future could use less pesticides, water and be more resilient to climate change

By Anna King September 1, 2023

Ken Luke, a manager with McCain Foods, shows off some of the old standby potato varieties, along with some of the new, like the fresh “King Russet,” at a recent […]Read More

Six homes lost in Hospital Fire in Orofino

By Lauren Paterson August 30, 2023

A helicopter with a bucket of water flies above a tree covered hillside with smoke billowing in the distance.

A helicopter pulled water from the Clearwater River while fighting the flames from the Hospital Fire in Orofino, Idaho August 29, 2023. (Credit: Lauren Paterson / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 3:16) […]Read More

Tales of the forests through which we tromp

By Lauren Gallup August 30, 2023

Olympic National Park, summertime, sun cascading through trees. // CREDIT: Lauren Gallup NWPB

Moss drapes over trees in Olympic National Park like the table dressings of fairies and the blankets of sprites. This place inspires writers — from amateurs to poets to public radio reporters — and welcomes visitors each year into its majesty. Our national parks tend to do that; be places of awe-inspiring beauty, great adventures through bushwhacking and overnights Read More

UPDATED: Evacuation notices lifted for Oregon Road Fire

By Rachel Sun August 29, 2023

A screenshot of the map for the Oregon Road Fire via InciWeb. Read UPDATE: All evacuations lifted for Spokane and Pend Orielle Counties as of Tuesday evening. The fire was 79 […]Read More

Residents near Lake Whatcom issued Level 2 Evacuation Notice

By Rachel Sun August 29, 2023

Residents on Blue Canyon Road near Lake Whatcom have been issued a Level 2 evacuation warning as crews fight a roughly 30-acre fire that likely started due to lighting Monday evening.Read More

Biblioteca rural de Washington podría ser la primera del país en disolverse tras oposición a libros

By Courtney Flatt August 29, 2023

La biblioteca del condado de Columbia, en el sureste de Washington, se encuentra a menos de una cuadra de la calle principal de Dayton, en un edificio histórico de ladrillo rojo que alberga más de 30.000 libros.Read More

Pasco Council member says racist attacks are targeting his campaign

By Johanna Bejarano August 29, 2023

A Pasco City Council member is running to keep his spot in District 3. But Irving Brown says racist attacks are targeting his campaign. Read More

Concejal de Pasco denuncia ataques racistas contra su campaña

By Johanna Bejarano August 29, 2023

El Concejal de Pasco Irving Brown es candidato para seguir representando al Distrito 3, pero dice que su campaña está siendo blanco de ataques racistas. Read More

Con programas educativos, ayudan a refugiados a construir un nuevo camino

By Johanna Bejarano August 25, 2023

Empezar de nuevo en otro país no es fácil, pero una organización del sureste de Washington ayuda a las familias de refugiados a crear un camino hacia el éxito a través de la educación. Read More

Helping refugees build new life paths through education

By Johanna Bejarano August 25, 2023

Starting over in a new country is not easy, but a Southeastern Washington organization helps refugee families create a path to success through education. Read More

WestRock Paper Mill closing in Tacoma — job losses, utility impacts and the end of the Tacoma Aroma?

By Lauren Gallup August 25, 2023

The WestRock Paper Mill location in Tacoma is the second of the company's mills to close this year. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB)

WestRock, a Georgia-based corrugated packaging company, announced that its paper mill on the Tacoma tideflats will close up shop at the end of September. The mill has been in operation for nearly 100 years, processing wood fibers into paper and emitting sulfurous scents infamous for contributing to the Tacoma Aroma. Read More

Rural Washington library could be nation’s first to dissolve after book challenges, reshelving requests

By Courtney Flatt August 24, 2023

On Nov. 7, some voters will decide whether to dissolve the Columbia County Library in Dayton, Washington. If they choose to do so, librarians said it would be the first […]Read More

Variations on a Theme: Hearing Homework

By Hannah Snyder August 24, 2023

NWPB receives no funding and has no control over ads played on Spotify. All great composers were students and one time or another. Danse bohemienne by Debussy was written when […]Read More

October trial postponed as Kohberger waives right to speedy trial in case of student killings

By Lauren Paterson August 23, 2023

Bryan Kohberger wears a grey suit and striped grey tie as an officer in uniform walks behind him into the courtroom.

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students […]Read More

Shark sighting in Idaho remains a mystery

By Lauren Paterson August 23, 2023

A dead salmon shark sits on the sand and rocks of the Salmon River in Riggins, Idaho.

On August 16th, a salmon shark was reported on the shores of the Salmon River in Riggins, Idaho. How the shark ended up on the beach is still unknown. (Credit: […]Read More

Rain, soft and wonderful, comes too late for many near Spokane

By Anna King August 23, 2023

Mike and Stephanie Zappone comfort each other recently amid the ashes of their home in Medical Lake

Large fires surrounding Spokane level homes and send people and livestock fleeing Read More

Precipitation, wind change slow growth of Spokane County wildfires

By Rebecca White August 21, 2023

Two firefighters face away from camera looking up at tree. They each hold large chainsaws and are dressed in long yellow sleeves, jeans and hardhats. In the distant background, smoke can be seen rising above black ground in front of scattered pine trees.

Workers remove trees impacted by the Gray Fire near Interstate 90. (Courtesy: Washington State Department of Transportation) Read By: Rebecca White / Spokane Public Radio Update: Interstate 90 has re-opened. Washington […]Read More

Listeria that killed three in Pierce, Thurston counties linked to milkshakes

By Rachel Sun August 21, 2023

The restaurant that served the milkshakes discontinued use of its two milkshake machines on Aug. 8, the same day the local health department collected samples. Read More

In Central Washington, legal clinic helps with citizenship application

By Johanna Bejarano August 21, 2023

Becoming a U.S. citizen is the goal of some immigrants. Sometimes, doing it without help can be difficult; but, in Central Washington, there are citizenship legal clinics to help applicants with their naturalization processes.Read More

With wildfires increasing, the threat to utilities is also on the rise

By Lauren Gallup August 18, 2023

Shrubs and trees and transmission lines are in the foreground of the picture. White smoke rises in behind them in the background of the picture.

Wildfires pose a threat to the energy sector — both the critical infrastructure that generates energy, like dams and wind turbines, and the infrastructure that delivers electricity to consumers, mainly transmission lines. The Sourdough Fire in Whatcom County has caused two dams that provide power to Seattle to go offline for stretches of multiple days — the Ross and Read More

Ranked-choice voting in Idaho could happen with 2024 ballot initiative

By Lauren Paterson August 18, 2023

A clipboard reads "sign here to support open primaries in Idaho" in green lettering.

The goal of the Idahoans for Open Primaries initiative is to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to Idaho. If enough signatures are gathered, the initiative will be on the […]Read More

Dolly Parton celebrates Imagination Library of Washington

By Lauren Gallup August 17, 2023

Dolly Parton appeared at a private event in Tacoma August 15 to celebrate the Imagination Library of Washington. (Credit: Lauren Gallup, NWPB)

The Imagination Library of Washington has gifted 1.6 million books to early learners statewide. Dolly Parton began the program in her home state of Tennessee in 1995. Washington created its statewide program in 2022 and on Aug. 15, the country music star celebrated its reach here, with those who made it possible. Read More

Dairy Steamer: Milk cows, like people, get hot and farmers use innovative ways to cool them

By Anna King August 17, 2023

Maple, the 7-year-old yellow lab, takes a swift lick on a couple of milkers near Sunnyside, Washington. (Photo: Anna King) Listen (Runtime 3:54) Read It’s hot! It hit about 110 […]Read More

Distrito legislativo de Washington Central debe redibujarse

By Johanna Bejarano August 15, 2023

Un juez federal dictaminó que el estado de Washington debe adoptar y promulgar nuevos mapas legislativos para la región del valle de Yakima antes de febrero de 2024. Read More

Heat safety 101: Prevention, warnings and treatment

By Rachel Sun August 15, 2023

A heat warning issued Tuesday through Thursday for areas including Orofino, Riggins, Hells Canyon and the Salmon River means more people will be at risk of heat illness. Here's how you can stay safe and cool.Read More

Planes and helicopters, dozens of firefighters called to fight Trinity Fire near the Tri-Cities

By Anna King August 14, 2023

Fire crews tend the Trinity Fire just outside the Tri-Cities on August 14. (Photo: Anna King) There is a new several hundred acre fire burning part of Rattlesnake Mountain near […]Read More

No Air Conditioner? No Sweat! Build A DIY Swamp Cooler

By Mary Ellen Pitney August 14, 2023

Different typed of DIY Swamp Coolers https://www.diycraftsy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/7-Simple-DIY-Homemade-Swamp-Cooler-Plans.jpg STORY BY ASH BEARD AND MARY ELLEN PITNEY Originally pusblished July 28, 2022 A heat wave is on the way in Eastern Washington. […]Read More

Vacaciones en el “paraíso” se convierten en desastre para familia de Washington

By Courtney Flatt August 14, 2023

Wilfires in Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023.

Cuando una familia de Tri-Cities viajó a Hawai, esperaba que fueran las vacaciones de su vida. En lugar de eso, se encontraron con las mismas condiciones a las que están acostumbrados: fuertes vientos, mucho humo y desastrosos incendios forestales.Read More

Central Washington Legislative District must be redrawn

By Johanna Bejarano August 14, 2023

A Federal Judge has ruled that Washington State must adopt and enact new legislative maps for the Yakima Valley region by February 2024. Read More

Washington State team deploys to help in aftermath of deadly Hawaii fires

By Lauren Gallup August 11, 2023

The County of Maui shared photos on Facebook of the aftermath of fires on the island. // CREDIT: County of Maui on Facebook

A team of search and rescue personnel based out of the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management deployed to Hawaii Friday after President Joe Biden ordered federal aid to the state to help areas impacted by devastating wildfires. The 45-person FEMA team is made up of emergency responders and other professionals trained in search and rescue from Pierce and King Read More

Futuro de Pac-12 preocupa a alumnos y ex alumnos de WSU

By Courtney Flatt August 11, 2023

Cada ESPN College GameDay, en algún lugar de la multitud se puede ver una bandera carmesí gigante con el logotipo de la Universidad Estatal de Washington ondeando por encima de las cabezas de la gente. La bandera ha adornado los televisores de los aficionados al fútbol americano 287 veces en total, pero este año podría haber un pequeño inconveniente para la diversión.Read More

Recent Posts